Warm Rents: Fair Heat as Standard

Can landlords guarantee a healthy minimum indoor temperature and make retrofit pay back faster? In this episode, we revisit last winter’s Warm Rents pilot with Switchee, Clarion, Yorkshire Housing and Places for People. 

• The pilot funded heat to a baseline 18°C via fuel vouchers and smart thermostat settings, lifting average indoor temperatures by around 1°C and cutting relative humidity below the high-risk 60% threshold linked to damp and mould. The 18°C baseline aligns with NHS and World Health Organization guidance for maintaining health in temperate climates. 

• Economics that add up: around £500 to heat a home for the winter versus £600 for a typical mould wash or £750+for two overnight hospital stays — prevention beats repair. 

• Policy angle: today’s rent framework separates rent from heat. Including a minimum heating guarantee within rent would correct inequity between well- and poorly-insulatedhomes and create a clear ROI for retrofit. 

• Partners: Switchee, Clarion, Yorkshire Housing, Places for People 

Practical steps for housing providers 

• Identify under-heated homes using temperature and humidity data (e.g., smart thermostats) and flag those consistently below 18°C. 

• Trial a warm-baseline offer such as 18°C using time-limited fuel vouchers to validate impact on damp and mould. 

• Quantify avoided costs — compare prevention against reactive repairs and healthcare costs to build your business case. 

• Engage on policy — brief your board on the Rent Standard and support pilots exploring integration of a heat guarantee into rent. 

• Join the next phase — express interest in Warm Rents 2.0 with Switchee and Healthy Homes Hub to scale evidence and design.

Host: Jenny Danson, Co-founder, Healthy Homes Hub 
Guest: Adam Fudakowski, Executive Chair, Switchee